"How reliable is the 2006 Mazda Mx-5?"

"Based on 36 NHTSA complaints, the 2006 Mazda Mx-5 has a median complaint mileage of 30000 miles. The most common issue is SEAT BELTS."

"What are common problems with the 2006 Mazda Mx-5?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2006 Mazda Mx-5 is SEAT BELTS, accounting for a significant portion of the 36 total complaints filed."

2006 Mazda Mx-5: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 36 complaints

Total Complaints

30,000mi

Median Mileage

SEAT BELTS

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

5,900 25th Percentile

30,000 Median Mileage

51,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

SEAT BELTS

STRUCTURE

STRUCTURE:BODY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY

AIR BAGS

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION

TIRES

POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DT: THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT VEHICLE OVER STEERING. HE MUST CONSTANTLY MOVE THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP THE VEHICLE DRIVING STRAIGHT AND FROM WONDERING. THE SERVICE DEALER COMPLETED DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTUR..."

"THIS MX-5 HAS THE 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WITH APPROXIMATELY 1,200 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, THE CLUTCH FRICTION POINT (THE LOCATION IN PEDAL TRAVEL WHERE THE CLUTCH BEGINS TO ENGAGE) MOVED FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE PEDAL (NEAR THE FLOOR) TO APPROXIMATELY ONE INCH FROM THE TOP (PEDAL NORMAL POSITION ..."

"WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS TO ABOUT 25 DEGREES OR LESS, THE VEHICLE'S POWER WINDOWS BECOME INOPERATIVE. WATER/ICE HAS NEVER BEEN PRESENT ON THE VEHICLE'S EXTERIOR, ALTHOUGH IT IS UNKNOWN IF WATER/ICE IS PRESENT INSIDE THE DOORS THEMSELVES. REMEDY: ATTEMPT TO LOWER AND RAISE THE VEHICLE WINDOWS ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28